Part 13 (1/2)

DAN: _East Lynne_.

MRS. BRAMSON: Oh....

DAN (_reading_): ”'You old-fas.h.i.+oned child!' retorted Mrs. Vane.

'Why did you not put on your diamonds?' 'I-did-put on my diamonds,'

stammered Lady Isabel. 'But I--took them off again.' 'What on earth for?'” That's the other lady speaking there--

MRS. BRAMSON: Yes, dear....

DAN: ”'What on earth for?' ... 'I did not like to be too fine,'

answered Lady Isabel, with a laugh--” (_turning over_) ”--and a blush. 'They glittered so! I feared it might be thought I had put them on to look fine.'”

MRS. BRAMSON (_absently_): Good, isn't it?

DAN (_flicking ash_): Oh, yes, reelistic.... (_Reading_) ”'I see you mean to set up among that cla.s.s of people who pree-tend to dee-spise ornyment,' scornfully ree-marked Mrs. Vane. 'It is the ree-finement of aff-affectation, Lady Isabel----'”

_An excited knock at the kitchen door._ DORA _enters._ DAN _turns back the page and surveys what he has been reading, scratching his head._

MRS. BRAMSON (_the old edge to her voice_): What is it?

DORA: Them men's in the wood again.

MRS. BRAMSON: What men?

DORA: The men lookin' for that Mrs. Chalfont.

_A pause._ DAN _hums ”Dames” under his breath._

MRS. BRAMSON: You don't mean to tell me they're still at it? But they've been pottering about since ... when was that day Mr. Dan left the Tallboys?

DORA (_stressing a little bitterly_): _Mister_ Dan?

DAN (_smiling_): Ahem!...

DORA: _Mister_ Dan first came to work for you, mum, a week last Monday....

MRS. BRAMSON: Well, I think it's a disgrace----

DORA: _I_'ve found something!

DAN'S _humming stops abruptly; he swivels round and looks at_ DORA, _his face unseen by the audience._ OLIVIA _and_ MRS.

BRAMSON _stare at_ DORA; _a pause._

MRS. BRAMSON: _You've_ found something?

OLIVIA: What?

DORA (_excited_): This!